I believe Cicely would have fled precipitately if Lindsay had not held her tightly by the hand. The fear that old Sir Giles Courtenay was being finally disposed of oppressed her like a nightmare. "No! I expect it's the treasure. We must notice exactly where they're putting it." [Illustration: AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT] Lindsay took a step nearer, to gain a better view of the proceedings, but as she did so her foot trod noisily on a dead twig. "What's that?" The question was in "The Griffin's" well-known voice. There was a growl in reply from Scott. "Best take a look, anyhow," came from Mrs. Wilson. Scott seized the lantern, and began to flash it round in every direction. Then, oh horrors! he walked straight towards the oak where the two girls were hiding. Nearly paralysed with fear, they did not dare to run away, and could only hope that, after all, under cover of the darkness, he might chance to overlook them. In her desperation, Lindsay tried to draw farther behind the trunk of the tree. To do so she perforce pushed Cicely back. The latter was not quite prepared for the sudden movement, the ground was uneven, she swayed, clutched violently at her companion to save herself, and over they both rolled down the bank, almost to the very feet of Scott himself. As Lindsay and Cicely came crashing down the bank, Scott uttered a cry of consternation. In the suddenness of his dismay, the lantern dropped from his hand, extinguishing the light in its fall. Instantly the two girls were on their feet, and rushed helter-skelter across the garden through the darkness. They plunged anyhow through bushes and over flower-beds, scratching their faces on overhanging boughs, and tearing their dresses on thorns, their one fear lest Scott should be pursuing them, and their one anxiety to gain the safe shelter of the house. They reached the side entrance without hearing any footsteps behind them. If Scott had tried to follow them, they had evidently managed to elude him, and he must have given up the chase. The door was still unbolted, and they hurried breathlessly upstairs, luckily meeting nobody on the way. What a harbour of refuge it seemed to be, back in their own room! Without daring to light the candle, they went back to bed again with all possible speed. "Well, we have had an adventure!" began Lindsay, when they were once more comfortably ensconced between the sheets. "Do you think Scott noticed who we were?" whispered Cicely. "I can't tell. He had just time to catch a glimpse of our faces before the lantern went out." "I'm sure they were doing something dreadful that they wanted to keep secret, he looked so utterly horror-stricken at seeing us." "There's no doubt about it. The unfortunate part is that now they find they've been discovered, they'll bury the treasure somewhere else instead." "What a pity we fell just at that moment!" Cicely's voice was very doleful.